Glover Teixeira reveals what caused Raoni Barcelos’ health scare at UFC Vegas 121
UFC fighter Raoni Barcelos suffered a sudden health scare during his main event match, which his corner later identified as brain swelling. Former champion Glover Teixeira explained that the fighter's brain essentially shut down as a defense mechanism due to the trauma sustained during the bout.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ongoing safety concerns regarding traumatic brain injuries in professional combat sports.
Raoni Barcelos’ longtime friend Glover Teixeira was in his corner this past weekend in Las Vegas and revealed the diagnosis for his health scare during his UFC Vegas 121 main event clash with Raul Rosas Jr. According to former UFC light heavyweight champion, Barcelos suffered a swelling in his brain before it eventually shut down as a “defense mechanism.”
Barcelos was up on the scorecards going into the fifth round but went unconscious for no apparent reason before the two-minute mark, and Teixeira said on his Overdogs podcast he thought it was “strange.” Barcelos was immediately transported to a local hospital for emergency care, and Teixeira feared for the worse.
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